Dear Chan-wook Park, it was a really nice idea to make a film about male homo-social desire set near the Korean border. And it was damn provocative to set a woman right at the center of the investigation concerning the incident at the border. Alas, you cast the Korean equivalent of Anushka Sharma or something in that important role. That actress ruined this film a little bit. Even though the plot was far fetched (or do soldiers from enemy nations at borders actually get together? I don't know), it was a riveting film. The interactions between the soldiers from the two Koreas was electrifying. There was always a hint of danger and violence beneath their camaraderie. I was amazed by the almost effortless brilliance of the actors. Some of the best Indian actors could not pull off these roles effectively. It is an extremely depressing film at the end of the day. A lot of us take borders and our border patrols for granted. But your film shows how petty, ugly and violent it all is. I am sure some fools in Hollywood and Bollywood would remake this and ruin it completely. Especially Bollywood. I can imagine Farhan Akhtar and Hritik Roshan lining up already. Hope you can sue them if they ever try to remake your film. Best Regards, Pimpin. (8/10)

I watched this because it was made by the old boy from Old Boy. I had also recently seen Memories of Murder and thought I was on a winning streak of enjoyable Korean movies.Strike three - I'm out.I can see what they were trying to do, and the story is familiar of people from opposite sides making bonds that break.My main problem is that I found that I couldn't care less about any of the characters. The acting ranged from fair to appalling. The female non-Korean Korean inspector was probably the worst.The story was nothing magical and there are no surprises for anyone over the age of 21 as all of the elements have been done before.I suppose I was also disappointed after hearing so many good reviews - my expectations were set so high they had further to fall.My advice is that if you enjoyed the other movies I mentioned, and Olboy more so than memories, then save yourself and move on to another choice.

The Joint Security Area (JSA) refers to the North and South Korean border. A tense and formal area manned on both sides by armed soldiers. By day a South Korean tourist attraction manned by uniformed expressionless guards 8 feet apart, by night the sides withdraw to either side of a bridge in manned posts perhaps 100 metres apart. The no-man's land alongside the bridge is patrolled by teams who must be ever wary of the presence of booby traps or land mines.On one night though shots ring out, 2 North Korean soldiers are killed, apparently by a South Korean soldier named Sgt Lee Soo Hyuk on a road who has confessed but refuses to talk further. In fact neither side wants to talk about it.Lee Soo Hyuk is condemned by the Northern forces and protected by the South, with each party possessing such a strong bias a neutral investigation is commenced lead by Major Sophie Jean, a Swiss resident with Korean ties and a mastery of the language.In interviews and flashbacks the real story gradually unfolds, nothing is as simple – or funnily enough as complicated – as it first seems.It is not fair to the film to say much more, I will say that it takes time for the real events to unravel but it is worth the wait. Being a Park Chan-Wook film it is well acted and immaculately paced, and JSA also contains some moments of great innocence and humanity. In fact the final truth is far more 'boring' and human than anyone might guess from the serious tone of the first few minutes.The film is laid out in three chapters, the first shows the viewpoint of the investigators, the second the actual events from the soldier's point of view and the third the conclusion and ultimately the truth.JSA is never less than intriguing and even though it isn't as great as the Vengeance trilogy it possesses perhaps the strongest final frame in almost any film that I can recall.Final Rating – 8 / 10. A who-dunnit with a difference. An extremely effective drama with a strong cast, a great plot and the usual exceptional direction of a modern day master.

I won't go into massive detail but it is a excellent example of korean cinema led by massively likable song kang ho and while the murder element does take away from the film somewhat it leads to a immensely satisfying conclusion The story begins with murder and mystery with political overtones, yet at it's heart, it's a film about friendship. The likable characters which never succumb to stereotypes bring to life a strange friendship which is rare under the political times but is treasured all the same. It does help if you have some knowledge of korean history but isn't required and can appeal any audience willing to invest time into the slow start.